Agric & Biotech

On July 3, the High-Level Panel of Experts of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) released its much-anticipated report on agroecology in Rome. The report signals the continuing shift in emphasis in the UN agency’s approach to agricultural development. Agroecology As outgoing FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva has indicated, “We need to promote a transformative change in the ...

Civil society organisations and citizens across Africa are calling upon their governments to issue an immediate ban on all use of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs). Use of agrochemical Launched by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the #BanGlyphosateAfrica campaign has been endorsed by African organisations representing millions of African citizens. ...

The German Federal and States Governments on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 made €800 million ($880 million) available for the conservation of woodland and reforestation, Agriculture Minister, Julia Kloeckner, said. German Agriculture Minister, Julia Kloeckner Speaking to regional public broadcaster SW2 ahead of a government woodland summit, Kloeckner said the money would be distributed on the basis of climate protection criteria. ...

Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has said that Africa does not lack capacity but the need to strengthen its capacity is very key to the development of the economy. Dr Rufus Ebegba The DG/CEO made this assertion when he received participants of the ICGEB/NABDA/NBMA/SCBD GMO detection training in his office on ...

Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has assured Nigerians of safe consumption of approved Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country. Dr Rufus Ebegba, Director General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Ebegba gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen at a five-day workshop on Basic Laboratory Training on Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) Detection and Identification in ...

Scientists in Burkina Faso have deployed a new weapon in the fight against malaria, and waded into a thorny bioethics debate, by letting loose thousands of genetically sterilised mosquitoes. The National Biosafety Agency of Burkina Faso had been under pressure over the planned release of sterile genetically modified male mosquitoes Their experiment is the first outside the lab to release ...

The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) says it is targeting production of one million yam seedlings in the next four months, using advanced biotechnology to boost food production in the country. Prof. Felix Akpa Prof. Alex Akpa, the Director- General, NABDA, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at a five-day workshop on Basic Laboratory Training on Living Modified Organisms ...

Despite its advantages, there are still opposition to embracing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The opposition is said to be based on a different perception about GMOs. Genetically modified maize Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopaedia defines GMO as “any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. “The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic ...

Director-General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Alex Akpa, says Nigeria has made significant strides in advancing the practice of biotechnology to enhance economic development. Participants at the opening of the workshop on Basic Laboratory Training on Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) Detection and Identification in Abuja Akpa said this at the opening of a five-day workshop on Basic Laboratory ...

While the role of the media as information disseminators in fostering development has never been in doubt, the range of media coverage of issues is sometimes a subject of debate. Some people are of the view that media reportage should cover all issues, but others think some issues are best left out of the media domain. The award winners from ...